Everyone is focused on Kentucky’s failure to pass VLT legislation in the Senate. This was the furthest the bill ever got in the history of the idea. I liken it to a champion boxer. They may have wobbled by a shot to the chin, but they are already coming back with another plan.

The VLT movement was rolling. It looked good. I love the idea of keeping the game alive and well. It is our duty to pass the torch to the next generation and allow them to see the beauty.

With increased competition, all tracks need to have the tools to survive. This week, Sen. Damon Thayer spoke with Gov. Steve Beshear about an alternative idea brought up, about using funds from the existing lottery taxes to supplement purses.

Like him or not, I have worked with Damon Thayer many moons ago. This is a young man who will make a difference, if he can. I think we need to focus on the horsemen and the survival of the game before we worry about the coffers of the tracks. If he can find a way to keep the game afloat while discussions for the future are discussed, I think we should back and support that idea. The solution will be examined and tweaked, and in the end, Kentucky will have a life jacket to hold them up until a later date.

Now, if you give me the idea of surviving until a later date, I would buy that idea rather than go to your corner and be counted out. There are many good people employed in the industry. We need the big picture, and not the short term solution.